Rheumatism is a chronic, systemic, self-immunological disease that has a serious impact on the quality of life of patients.
Rheumatist arthritis is primarily an attack on the joints, which can draw on multiple joints, most often on hand, foot, and so forth. During the early stages of the disease, the patient may experience joint pain and swelling, which is often more pronounced at the start of the morning and is medically referred to as a morning freeze. It can last for a short period of time and can last for several hours for patients with severe conditions, while as activity increases, the stiffness of the joints eases, but pain persists. With the development of the condition, the joints are deformed, and the already flexible joints become distorted and deformed, seriously affecting the normal functioning of the joints and making it extremely difficult for patients to carry out their daily activities, such as wearing clothes, tie-ups, pens, etc.
The causes of this disease are manifold. From a genetic point of view, the presence of certain genes may make individuals more vulnerable to rheumatism. But genes are not the only factor, and environmental factors also play an important role. For example, chronic damp and cold environments can induce joint pathologies. In addition, a number of infectious factors, such as viruses, bacterial infections and so on, may to some extent trigger an abnormal immune response to the body.
The hazards of rheumatism are not limited to joints. As this is a systemic disease, it may also affect other organs and systems of the body. For example, it may be exhausting the lungs, causing inflammation of the lungs, fibrosis and other symptoms such as respiratory difficulties; it may also affect the heart and cause heart problems such as cardiac encephalitis; it may also violate the eyes, causing dilation, inflammation and impairment of the eyes. Long-term patients with rheumatism arthritis often suffer from systemic symptoms such as fatigue and wasting due to chronic inflammation and pain in the body, causing serious damage to their overall health.
In the area of diagnosis, doctors need to combine multiple factors. In addition to the symptoms of the patient, such as joint pain, swelling and morning rigidity, blood tests are carried out to see if some inflammation indicators, such as blood sank, C reaction protein, etc., are elevated, as well as to examine specific indicators, such as rheumatist factors, anti-cyclic amino acid antibodies, etc. Video-testing, such as X-rays, MRI, etc., is also important for observing the pathology of the joint and determining the severity of the condition.
Treatment of rheumatism is a long-term process. Drug treatment is the main means, including inflammation drugs, which can alleviate pain and inflammation; improve the state of the disease against rheumatism, which can control the progress of the condition; and the possible use of new drugs, such as biological agents, in serious cases. In addition to medicines, self-management of patients is crucial, and appropriate rest, protection of joints, functional exercise, etc., help to alleviate symptoms and maintain joint functions. Early diagnosis and active treatment are essential to improve the prognosis of persons with rheumatism so as to minimize the harm caused by the disease to their lives and bodies.
